With DC’s announcement of the Watchmen prequel mini-series, we wonder what books readers are going to be interested in.
BEFORE WATCHMEN includes:
- RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo
- MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
- COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones
- DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes
- NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert
- OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee
- SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner
- CRIMSON CORSAIR – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: John Higgins
- BEFORE WATCHMEN: EPILOGUE – various
Since the original announcement, we know two more books have joined the lineup (Corsair and Epilogue), and considering this is DC’s weekly event, I’m wondering if we’ll see a few more titles appear before this is all over to make this a nice round 52 week event.
So, Dear Reader, what title are you most looking forward to reading, and which one(s) are you going to avoid?
22 Comments
Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan are on the top of my list.
The only books I’m not super-excited about are Ozymandias and Nite Owl. They were always may least favorite characters in the original books and they were my least favorite characters in the movie. Everything else, though, I’m pretty stoked about.
Though, if Darwyn Cooke wasn’t doing Minutemen, I really wouldn’t care that much. But since he is, I can’t wait to read it.
I actually am really interested in Ozymandias’ just because I’d like to see the events of how he transitioned from friend and hero to mass killer.
Avoiding all of them. Don’t like the idea of the prequels.
Rorschach and maybe Crimson Corsair … although if I’m honest I will probably buy all of them. Right?
Tweet from Damon Lindelof:
“A. I am profoundly upset about the WATCHMEN prequels. B. I’m buying every single one of them.”
My point exactly.
I like a lot of the people involved, but given that (a) Watchmen was the best example of a totally self-contained book ever and (b) like Dr. Coogan, I believe that the sequel has already been done, I have reservations. This will either be surprisingly good or an entertaining train wreck. I’m not as embittered about this as some people already are online (seriously), but I’ll be watching from a distance to see if the finished product is any good.
Watchmen doesn’t need a prequel or sequel, so none of them. If specific mini-series get good word of mouth, I may consider getting them in trade.
My first thought upon hearing the creative teams was “How many issues will JMS do before he bails?”.
I like Watchmen for its literary significance and the analysis that can be done on it- not the least of which has been the works of Dr. Coogan that this site has shared and promoted- but honestly I don’t particularly enjoy the book as a piece of entertainment. To me, it very much was a timely commentary piece that’s time has passed so I don’t necessarily need to go to that particular work to find the same mood, deconstruction, cynicism, symbolism, etc. And while the characters are interesting, I’m not THAT interested.
The creative teams seem on point (barring the miraculous return of Moore himself) so I’m certainly not adverse to picking them up if I hear they’re good, but I’m also not putting any of these on my pre-order list. Unless Watchmen becomes an onging or starts to really consume community conversation, I’m content to trade-wait.
But you put a gun to my head and make me pick one… I’d probably go with Rorschach. Even though I feel like we know his character pretty well, Azzarello and Bermejo have so much chemistry. I’m more curious about Dr. Manhattan, but JMS has let me down too much of late… and I’m a little afraid of giant blue junk rendered in Adam Hughes glory! ;)
I agree with Xian. I read this 20 years after its release, so it didn’t impact me as much.
It is like “Citizen Kane.”. I enjoy it more for its significant contribution to the medium than its entertainment value.
Given the Cold War setting of Watchmen and the fact that it came out during the cold war it had very specific resonance as an artifact of its time. It really said everything about the events leading up to Veidt’s actions that needed to be said.
This announcement really amounts to another example of authorized fan fiction. Big name, and possibly high quality fan fiction, but fan fiction nonetheless. I’m personally not interested in it, especially given the fact that there appears to be an announced title called Before Watchmen: Epilogue. Isn’t Watchmen the epilogue to what happened Before Watchmen.
Pass.
This is a point that I haven’t seen elsewhere…
This was released during the Cold War, about the Cold War, and capitalising on the feelings of people regarding the Cold War.
I wonder how not having the Cold War so fresh in our minds will impact this story.
-D!
Also – I thoguht the excat same thing about the “Epilogue”!! My guess is that this is just a fancy new name for the original 12 issues!! :P
I’m leaning towards thinking that “Epilogue” will be the post-Watchmen “What happened after?” that Dr Coogan alluded to is already in WATCHMEN.
Having just finally read watchmen for the first time I am kinda looking forward to Ozymandias and Rorschauch. I will probably read Dr. Manhattan but only after checking for blue balls.
Comedian. He had an even more twisted psyche than Rorschauch.
Amanda Conner drawing Silk Spectre? How is that not everyone’s top pick
Perhaps because she’s doing the older Silk Spectre?
Just based on the creative teams and the covers I’m interested in :
MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes
I’m not very interested in anything JMS does in comics these days but I’ll try it for Hughes.
NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert
Again, not that crazy about JMS but I like the character and the junior Kuberts.
SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner
In this case I love the creative team, but I didn’t really like the character much. I did like her more in the movie.
CRIMSON CORSAIR – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: John Higgins
I’m not sure if I’ll try this or not, but who/what is this? The pirate comic?
BEFORE WATCHMEN: EPILOGUE – various
Dunno.
depending on how they come out, I might be interested in all of them, to get the backstory of all the characters. would be interesting if they used Alan Moore’s notes and everything.
Wish DC would have picked someone else besides JMS and not given him two series to author. I think Mark Millar and Garth Ennis would have been good choices. If this is financially successful for DC, then I’m sure we’ll see more “Before” titles emerging. Before The Dark Knight Returns, anyone?
I really am looking forward to Rorshach and Ozymandius, but I do fear that a lot of Doctor Manhattan is going to be looking forward to events happening in Watchmen. The interesting thing about Doc. Manhattan is that he explained the past and future (up to the New York incident), so what else is there for him to explain when we already know everything that is already relevant to the story?
YAWN.
Won’t be buying any of them.
Okay, I am about to commit heresy, but I did NOT like the Watchmen when it first came out, and I’ve never been able to finish reading it in any of its incarnations since, and I haven’t watched the movie yet, either. I didn’t like the art – the original artist was my least favorite artist since Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko; and I found the writing derivative at best, and the combination of stiff art and sluggish writing made me just not care. I find it interesting that all the writers and artist on the prequels are better writers and artists than the original lot, in my humble opinion. If I may quote Welsh above: YAWN.